Inking mechanism for multicolor-printing.



No. 639,247. Patented Dec. I9, I899. A. D. KENESTON.

INKING MECHANISM FOR MULTICULUR PRINTING.

(Application filed July 20, 1897.) (No Model.)

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ALBERT D. KENESTON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE KENESTON, OFSAME PLACE.

INKING MECHANISM FOR MULTlCOLOR-PRINTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,247, dated December19, 1899.

Application filed July 20, 1897 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. KENESTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Inking Mechanism forMulticolor-Printing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for distributing on an inking-rollerinks of two or more colors for use for multicolor-printing; and itconsists of the novel construction and combinations of the devices andelements hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The objects of my invention are to provide a printing-press with asimple mechanism which may be readily applied to the press fordistributing two or more color-inks simultaneously on the sameinking-cylinder; also, to provide mechanism by which the two or morecolor-ink rollers may be automatically moved longitudinally andreciprocatingly in contact with the same ink-distributing roller, and,further, to provide mechanism by means of which the length ofreciproeating longitudinal movement of the two or more ink color rollersmay be adjusted at the will of the operator, as may be predetermined.

Other objects and advantages of this fun vention will be fullyunderstood from the following description and claims, when taken inconnection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a printingpress (a suitable portion thereof shown) havingmy invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view taken in transversesection at line 1 in Fig. 1, with parts shown in section. Fig. 3 is asectional view taken at line 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of oppositeend, taken at same line 2 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of theink-roller-shaft keeper; and Fig. 6 is a section taken at line 3 in Fig.5.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

The drawings show so much of a printingpress of the kind known to thetrade as the Universal as is deemed necessary for illustrating a pressto which my invention may Serial No. 645,212. (No man.)

be applied. In the drawings, in this press, A is a portion of the frameof the press.

B is the revolving ink-cylinder.

C is the revolving crank-disk, mounted on the drive-shaft of the press,andD is the pitman intermediate between the crank-disk O and the platen,which latter and other parts of the press are not shown, theirillustration being unnecessary for a full understanding ofmy invention.

E is a longitudinalreciprocating shaft haw ing mounted thereon two ormore color-inkdistributing rollers F, adapted each to freely revolveindependent of the others, yet simultaneously. This shaft E iscylindrical in form and of suitable thickness for stiffness and oflength to include portion e between the bearings a a in the frame, and asuitable extension, as e, projected outward beyond one of said bearingsa for reception of the reacting spring G, While the opposite end isprovided with a suitable engaging device say as hook F-for holding thecord or chain, hereinafter described. The outer end of portion 6 isprovided with the spring-keeper 6 which may be made of any suitable formand secured to said end by a pin or screw.

11 H are shaft-keepers suitably secured to the frame-pieces A at pointsadjacent the hearings to a for service as upper side bearing-pieces forpreventing shaft E from rising from the bearings a. My preferred meansfor securing these keepers in place consists of a binding-bolt H,provided with nut H Although the form of these shaft keepers may bevaried, yet I prefer to make their bodies 71. with an oblong form andeach with a width corresponding with that of the slots a, leading to thebearings a and provided with lateral flanges h, Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6,for bearing on the edge margin sides of slots at, as shown in Figs. 3and 4, while theirlower ends are each provided with notch 7L2 forservice as an upper-side bearing ofshaft E. These shaft-keepers are setin slots a in the frame and have their bearing ends 77. at such adistance from the bottoms of bearings a as to hold said shaft fromrising and at the same time allow it to be freely moved longitudinallyin either direction.

"The color-ink-distributing rollers F are preferably made of elasticcomposition, as generally employed by the trade, and are each mounted onan independent tubular shaft F, which is itself mounted on shaft E, soas to freely revolve thereon. Adjustable thimbles F provided each withset-screw f, are also provided on shaft E and are employed one at eachend of each distributing-roller F, as shown in Fig. 2, for keeping thetwo or more of these rollers at their predetermined distance apart onshaft E. These ink-distributing rollers F F are employed in numberscorresponding with the number of color-inks to be distributed on theinking-cylinder B, whether two, three, or any other preferred number.

1, Figs. 2 and 4:, is a spring-guard arranged over the reacting spring Gand shaft portion 6. This guard I is preferably made with an inverted-Uform in its cross area for inclosing the upper and lateral sides of saidspring G and the portion 6 of shaft E within said spring. This guard Iis preferably integral with bracket 1', which is adapted to have itsbody portion 2' fit in slot a, leading to hearing a, while lateralflanges t are provided for bearing against the outer side edge marginsof the said slot, as shown in Fig. 4, while the binding-bolt H,preferably secured to its adjoining shaft-keeper, rigidly secures saidbracket with the frame at the same time said bolt secures the adjoiningshaft-keeper in place.

J, Figs. 1 and 2, is a friction-roller bracket secured to the side frameopposite that to which the spring-guard I is secured. This bracket maybe of any suitable form and be secured by any suitable means with suchside frame, so as to adapt it to hold the frictionroller K in positionwith its peripheral groove on a line with the axis of shaft E forcarrying a draft cord or chain from the engaging hook F to a suitableconnecting-link, as will be hereinafter described. This bracket J hasits attaching portion J fitting in slot at and provided with flangesjjfor hearing against the outer edge margins of said slot and also with aperforation for receiving the bindingbolt H, by which this bracket issecured to the frame.

L is a link adjustably connected with linkkeeper M, which may bepivotally connected with the pitman D or any other suitablereciprocating piece directly or indirectly, as

may be preferred. This link L is provided at its upper end with a loopor hook Z for engagement with a flexible connection between said linkand the shaft E, and it is provided below with a screw-threaded bindingscrew or bolt 1, provided with nut Z The link-keeper M is made with anoblong slot m and with guiding-flanges m m, be-

tween which flanges the body of the adjustable link is held by thebinding device Z when said link has been adjusted longitudinally inrelation to its keeper.

The link-keeper M may be pivoted directly with the pitman D in somepresses, While in other presses it may be pivoted to some otherreciprocating or moving device or part of the press or attachmentthereto without departing from the spirit of this invention. Whenapplied to the press of the class above mentioned, I prefer to clippivot N to pitman D by means of clip 0, made sectional and of parts 00', held together by binding-screws 0 0 with one of the parts, as 0,having pivotN integral with it, so that said pivot may be readilyapplied at will to said pitman D at any preferred point in the lengththereof, as may be found to be advantageous or most convenient. Thispivot N receives the eye M, shown to be provided on the lower end of thelink keeper M, which is secured thereon by means of nut N, screwing onthe screwthreaded stem it, made with pivot N.

P is a flexible draft connection between link L and shaft E and isconnected by one of its ends with hook or loop Z of the said link and by.its opposite end with the device or hook F of the said shaft E, whilethe body of this draft connection is carried by the friction-roller K.This draft connection P may be made of cord or chain, as may bepreferred, and is guarded at the friction-roller by loop q of keeper Q,arranged at a suitable point over roller K, so as to allow the cord orchain to freely move through loop q and is held in place by theperforated limbs q q of said keeper Q and the pivot-pin 70, passingthrough the ears of the bracket J and friction-roller K.

WVhen the above described devices and parts are applied to the press, asabove described, the adjustable link L will be adjusted in relation toits keeper M for lengthening or shortening the distance between pivot Nand the flexible draft connection P for regulating the length of thelongitudinal movement to be given to shaft E, which movement may therebybe varied from one-half of an inch to two inches or more, as may bepreferred or be found to be advantageous for best results, and thehigher link L is raised in the keeper above the pivot N the shorter willbe the length of the movement of the shaft, while a lowering of the saidlink will effect a corresponding lengthening of such movement, andwhether the movement of the shaft E be longer or shorter the flexibledraft connection P will be more or less slack, and the length of itsslack will be increased as the length of the movement of said shaft isdecreased and be lessened when the movement of the latter is to beincreased. I

In operation the downward pull of the connection P will move the shaft Eand the several inking-rollers thereon longitudinally in one directionto the distance allowed by the adjustment of the link L in relation toits keeper M. Then the reacting spring G will operate to move said shaftand inking-rollers longitudinally in the reversed direction. In boththese longitudinal movements of said shaft and inking-rollers thereonthe latter will revolve in contact with the inking-cylinder B andtransfer to it its proper proportion of colored ink, as beforepredetermined shall be distributed on said cylinder.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination with the ink-cylinder of a printing-press andslot-form bearings a a in the side frames of the same, of the longitudinally-reciprocating shaft E adapted to serve as a spindle on whichan inking-roller may be mounted,of a reacting spring between one end ofsaid shaft and an end of the bearing adjoining said spring, a linksecured to a moving part of the press and adapted to have a rbiprocatingmovement, a flexible draft connection between the opposite end of saidshaft and said link, and a friction-roller supporting the body of saidflexible draft connection, substantially as and for the purposes setforth. 7

2. In a printing-press, the combination with alongitudinally-reciprocating shaft which serves as a spindle on whichtwo or more N ink-rollers revolve for distributing ink to anink-cylinder, a pivot secured to a moving portion of the press, of alink which vibrates from said pivot, a flexible draft connection betweensaid'reciprocating shaft and said link, a friction-roller carrying thebody of said flexible connection, and a reacting spring between theopposite end of said shaft and the end of the bearing adjoining said aspring, substantially as set forth.

3. In a printing-press, the combination with the frame-pieces A,provided with slot-form bearings, a reciprocating shaft, supported insaid bearings, and shaft-keepers H H having their bodies entered intothe slot-form bearings and provided with lateral flanges h, of devices Jand I and binding-bolts H H bind ing devices J and I to their respectiveadjoining shaft-keepers, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

4. In a printing-press, the combination with the reciprocating shaft .Esupported in slotform bearings provided in the frame-pieces A, and aspring between one end of said shaft and the outer end of the bearingadjoining said spring, of a springuard having its bracket portion 1provided with lateral flanges i, a shaft-keeper H provided with flangesh and binding-bolt H and nut substantially as set forth.

5. In a printing-press, the combination with the reciprocating shaft E,supported in slotform bearings,a friction-roller provided with aperipheral groove, a bracket J supporting said roller at a distance fromone end of said shaft and with its groove on a line with the axis of thelatter and having its portion J provided with flanges j, of a draftconnection P between said shaft E and a moving part of the press and ashaft-keeper H provided with flanges h and the binding-bolt H,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a printing-press, the combination with the pitman D, a pivotsecured to said pitman, a sectional slotted link, having its parts adjustable lengthwise so as to be adapted to be lengthened and shortenedat will, secured to said pivot, a reciprocating shaft supported inbearings and an ink-cylinder supported parallel with said shaft, of adraft connection between said shaft and link, a friction-rollersupporting said draft connection and a reacting spring at the oppositeend of said shaft, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a printing-press the combination with a reciprocating moving partof the press, a sectional clip provided with binding-screws adaptingsaid clipto be adjusted on said moving part, a pivot connected with onesection of said clip, a sectional link adapted to be lengthened andshortened, and working on said pivot, of an ink-roller, a reciprocatingshaft parallel with said ink-roller, a flexible connection between saidlink and one end of the said shaft, and a spring reacting against thepull of said flexible connection on the said shaft, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

8. In a printing-press, the combination with an ink-roller, areciprocating shaft arranged parallel to said roller, a pitman, asectional clip which is adjustable on said pitman and provided with apivot on one of its sections, a link, adapted to be lengthened orshortened at will, working on said pivot, of a flexible draft connectionbetween said link and one end of said shaft and a reacting spring at theopposite end of said shaft, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

9. In a printing-press the combination with the reciprocating shaft E afriction-roller, a bracket supporting said roller, a vibratingdraft-link and a flexible draft connection between said link and saidshaft, of keeper Q, provided with loop q, arranged over the portion ofthe draft connection on the crown of said roller and supported from saidbracket, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In a printing-press, the combination of ing roller, theplaten-operating rod, a connection between one end of the roller and therod whereby the roller is moved endwise in one direction by the rod, anda spring at the other end of the roller whereby the latter is movedendwise in the opposite direction.

ALBERT D. KENESTON. Witnesses:

CHARLES SELKIRK, A. SELKIRK, Jr.

the ink-cylinder, the sectional ink-distribut-

